The Collaborative International Dictionary
Leather \Leath"er\ (l[e^][th]"[~e]r), n. [OE. lether, AS. le[eth]er; akin to D. leder, le[^e]r, G. leder, OHG. ledar, Icel. le[eth]r, Sw. l["a]der, Dan. l[ae]der.]
The skin of an animal, or some part of such skin, with the hair removed, and tanned, tawed, or otherwise dressed for use; also, dressed hides, collectively.
-
The skin. [Ironical or Sportive] Note: Leather is much used adjectively in the sense of made of, relating to, or like, leather. Leather board, an imitation of sole leather, made of leather scraps, rags, paper, etc. Leather carp (Zo["o]l.), a variety of carp in which the scales are all, or nearly all, absent. See Illust. under Carp. Leather jacket. (Zo["o]l.)
A California carangoid fish ( Oligoplites saurus).
-
A trigger fish ( Balistes Carolinensis). Leather flower (Bot.), a climbing plant ( Clematis Viorna) of the Middle and Southern States having thick, leathery sepals of a purplish color. Leather leaf (Bot.), a low shrub ( Cassandra calyculata), growing in Northern swamps, and having evergreen, coriaceous, scurfy leaves. Leather plant (Bot.), one or more New Zealand plants of the composite genus Celmisia, which have white or buff tomentose leaves. Leather turtle. (Zo["o]l.) See Leatherback. Vegetable leather.
An imitation of leather made of cotton waste.
Linen cloth coated with India rubber.
--Ure.